Success Stories

Spanner Celebrates Grand Opening in Historic Building Downtown

#sjdowntown

Spanner Product Development will open its doors this month in the historic Wilcox Block, which was built in 1867 in Downtown San Jose. Spanner is a mechanical engineering product development consultancy firm that primarily works on consumer electronics. They leased 5,500 sq ft at 15 W. San Fernando Street and specialize in high-end consumer electronics. According to Mark Richie of Richie Commercial and one of three owners in the Wilcox Block, “These kinds of companies coming down here are very, very significant.” LPA Inc., an architecture firm that recently moved Downtown, is working with Spanner on the interior. According to Giles Lowe, co-founder and CEO of Spanner, “Having the urban feel and being in the hub is really important for us.” Lowe liked that the office was close to employees’ homes and allowed Spanner to expand its service offerings, such as providing a larger workshop space that will let it do same-day prototyping on 3D printers. Welcome Downtown, Spanner! For more information, click here, or contact Lee Wilcox, Downtown Manager.

December, 2014

Whole Foods Market New Alameda Store Brings 150 Jobs Downtown

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A new 35,000 square-foot Whole Foods Market (WFM) store will open December 9th on The Alameda (at Stockton) in Downtown San Jose bringing more than 150 new jobs Downtown. The store is home to WFM California’s first in-store microbrewery and tap room. The two-story, 5,600 square-foot brewery building, which is a separate building from the grocery store, will also house a coffee and fresh juice venue, as well as offering seating and a restaurant-style menu. Fifteen taps will offer seasonal and local brews and is one of the company’s most environmentally efficient stores with an onsite Combined Heat and Power plant, reducing the store’s dependence on the public grid by 90 percent. It is also one of few grocery stores nationally to use approximately 100% natural refrigerants relying on a state-of-the-art CO2 refrigeration system. According to Store Team Leader Jeff Giardinelli, “We are hoping folks will stop by for a beer or a pizza. We’ve got plenty of space and are looking forward to serving this community.” To read more, click here, or contact Cara Douglas, Senior Business Communications Manager.

December, 2014

Legacy on 101 Breaks Ground in North San Jose

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Legacy Partners recently broke ground on Legacy on 101–a 16.5 acre site in North San Jose. The site is accessible and visible from Highways 101 and 87. Phase I has been permitted to construct two 199,175 sq ft, six-story Class A office buildings. Additional phasing opportunities exist to accommodate a total of ±850,000 sq ft. “North San Jose is an area of growth and opportunity for businesses of all sizes,” said Chris Burton, Senior Business Development Manager for San Jose’s Office of Economic Development. “Our team of talented professionals are here to help Legacy Partners and others secure tenants for their properties.” “You’d have to fact-check me,” said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. “But I’m pretty sure this is the first spec building in North San Jose in the last decade.” Cassidy Turley commented that the vacancy in North San Jose’s Research and Development market was 12.5% in the third quarter of 2014, down from 19.6% three years prior. For more information, contact Chris Burton, Senior Business Development Manager, or click here.

#sjdowntown

DataWise Systems, Inc., a Silicon Valley tech startup, is moving Downtown. The company recently leased approximately 10,000 SQFT at 111 N. Market Street in Downtown San Jose. According to Sushma Malhotra, Founding Principal of S5 Advisory, Inc., who represented Datawise in the leasing transaction, “Datawise had very specific requirements about their office space needs. We started out looking at the entire corridor from Palo Alto to San Jose. They wanted close proximity to Caltrain and near a downtown with expansion capability, with price also being an element. Four things finally attracted Datawise to their new Downtown office space: access to transit, urban amenities, real estate costs, and a responsive city government.” Jeff Chou, CEO and Founder of Datawise noted, “Downtown San Jose provides a great environment in a high-tech friendly city. San Jose’s welcoming city staff and building management team, the energetic vibe with lots of restaurants, cafes and amenities, and easy access to public transportation make it an ideal location to build a company.” In 2014, tech companies Downtown have increased from 80 to more than 100. Welcome Downtown, DataWise! For more information, contact Tina Kapoor, Downtown Coordinator.

November, 2014

Pop Up Retail Comes Downtown

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Nine Pop-Up stores will open during Downtown San Jose’s holiday season when more than half a million people visit the city center. The new shops are occupying underutilized indoor and outdoor spaces, including vacant storefronts such as the lobby in the former San Jose Repertory Theatre. Apparel provider ThereThere was the first to open its doors on October 24 and sees San Jose’s Pop-Up Project as part of Downtown’s evolution, where arts, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit thrive. According to their website, “San Jose is the stealth superpower of the Bay Area, and a preview of the world to come. Pay attention to what’s going on in this City-it’s where the future comes from.” Pop-Up stores open on November 7, coinciding with the South First Friday’s Art Walk. The shops will remain open into January. For more information, contact Tina Kapoor, Downtown Coordinator.

November, 2014

Study Indicates Talent Pipeline Starts At San Jose State University

A recent study by Business Insider researched universities that students should attend if seeking a job at Apple (one of the most sought after tech giants to work for according to the study). Using LinkedIn’s new education search utility, the report found San Jose State University (SJSU) grads ranked number one on the hire list and noted job seekers should probably get a California education if they want to land a job at a Silicon Valley tech giant. California schools on Apple’s top 20 list are: SJSU, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, California Polytechnic State University, University of California, Los Angeles, San Francisco State University, University of California, Davis, University of Southern California, Santa Clara University, University of California, San Diego, University of California, Santa Cruz, and University of California, Santa Barbara. To read the study, click here. For more information, contact Michelle Thong, Business Development Officer.

October, 2014

Prospect Silicon Valley Opens Cleantech Hub October 2

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Prospect Silicon Valley (ProspectSV) will officially open its demonstration center on October 2, 2014. The opening will feature a technology showcase with more than 12 ProspectSV innovators. The 22,500 square foot facility will provide space for companies to develop, demonstrate and launch new technology into the market. Companies that contract with ProspectSV will also be able to use the center’s state-of-the-art labs, vehicle lift and shop equipment. The Grand Opening celebration is open to the public by reservation. To register click here. For more information, contact Reena Brilliot, Business Development Officer.

October, 2014

Prospect Silicon Valley Opens October 2

Prospect Silicon Valley’s (ProspectSV) eagerly awaited Grand Opening will take place October 2, 2014 at San Jose’s Environmental Innovation Center. ProspectSV will occupy 22,500 square feet and provide a facility for companies to develop, demonstrate and launch new technology into the market. Companies that contract with ProspectSV will also be able to use the center’s state-of-the-art labs, vehicle lift and shop equipment. For more information, click here, or contact Chris Burton, Senior Business Development Manager.

October, 2014

Manufacturing Week Kicks Off In San Jose

Manufacturing Week 2014 comes to San Jose September 29 through October 3 with a series of facility tours, open houses, and panel discussions about careers in manufacturing in an effort to raise awareness about the industry’s rapid growth in the region. Today, Santa Clara County represents 10 percent of all high-tech manufacturing jobs nationwide and is home to 9 out of 10 world’s largest electronic manufacturing service companies. The week of activities is sponsored by the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Roundtable and San Jose’s Office of Economic Development. For more information,click here, or contact Chris Burton, Senior Business Development Manager.

October, 2014

Prospect Silicon Valley Opens Cleantech Hub October 2

Prospect Silicon Valley (ProspectSV) will officially open its demonstration center on October 2, 2014. The opening will feature a technology showcase with more than 12 ProspectSV innovators. The 22,500 square foot facility will provide space for companies to develop, demonstrate and launch new technology into the market. Companies that contract with ProspectSV will also be able to use the center’s state-of-the-art labs, vehicle lift and shop equipment. The Grand Opening celebration is open to the public by reservation. To register click here. For more information, contact Reena Brilliot, Business Development Officer.

September, 2014

Jabil Manufacturing Leases 100,000 Sq. Ft. in Edenvale

#sjplace

Jabil, which provides manufacturing services for a wide range of high-tech customers, leased a 100,000 square foot facility (owned by the Sobrato Organization) around the corner from its current 180,000 square foot location in the Edenvale area of San Jose. Jabil currently employs about 800 people in San Jose and plans to expand its R&D activities as well as build a Customer Experience Center to demonstrate its capabilities. According to Beth Walters, senior vice president for communications and investor relations for Jabil, “Jabil is committed to San Jose and we’ve received great support from the City.” Congratulations Jabil! To read more, click here or contact Chris Burton, Senior Business Development Manager.

September, 2014

Xactly Doubles in Size Downtown to Grow Workforce

#sjdowntown

Xactly recently doubled the size of its Downtown office space moving to River Park II office tower from 28,000 square feet to 60,000 square feet to accommodate their rapid growth and new employees. Xactly currently has more than 320 employees and could add as many as 300 more over time. According to Christopher Cabrera, co-founder and chief executive of Xactly, “We hope our expansion sends the message to the Silicon Valley that San Jose is the real deal. The Downtown is chock-a-block full of restaurants, entertainment and culture. There is so much going on Downtown. The employees love being here.” Congratulations, Xactly! For more information, click here, or contact Lee Wilcox, Downtown Manager.

September, 2014

San Jose Is Ranked As One Of Coolest Places To Live In The Us

San Jose recently ranked as one of the Top 20 Coolest Cities in the U.S. to Live, in part, because of the increase in local residents frequenting Downtown, the availability of non-chain restaurants, abundant entertainment and cultural venues per capita, and its growing population. The report, by Forbes and Sperling’s Best Places, determined the “coolness” factors by calculating how much entertainment, recreation and local food was offered in each location, as well as the percent of 20- to 30-year-olds, overall population growth since 2000, and the ethnic diversity of people living there. San Jose tied with Los Angeles as one of the “coolest cities.” It ranked higher than Los Angeles in the “Foodie” category with 79.7 percent of the available eats being local, non-chain establishments. The results also showed that the net migration in San Jose rose by 2.2 percent between 2010 and 2013, suggesting that the population is growing and people are staying put. For more information,click here, or contact Kerry Adams-Hapner, Director of Cultural Affairs.

August, 2014

Protein Simple Moves 200 Employees From Santa Clara to North San Jose

#northsj

ProteinSimple, a developer of protein analysis technologies, inked a nine-year lease to occupy 98,000 square feet at 3001 Orchard Parkway beginning September 2014. It will merge its team of 200 employees from two Santa Clara locations into North San Jose’s Renovation Row area. Ridge Capital Investors and Contrarian Capital Management acquired the building in 2013 for $13.5 million. Welcome to San Jose, ProteinSimple! For more information, click here or contact Chris Burton, Senior Business Development Manager.

August, 2014

City Momentum Index Notes San Jose Among Top Dynamic Cities Globally

The recent release of the City Momentum Index(CMI) by Jones Lang LaSalle positioned San Jose as a top 20 city worldwide for its short-term real estate and socio-economic momentum, and its ingredients for longer-term sustainable performance. This index is significant because it covers 111 established and emerging business hubs across the globe. San Jose was one of only five North American cities to make the Global Top 20. San Jose was noted for its ability to rapidly adapt to change, to be innovative, and to create cutting-edge new businesses. For more information, click here or contact John Lang, Chief Economist.

August, 2014

It’s Happening – Summer In Historic Saint James Park

As summer heats up in Downtown, consider a visit to historic St. James Park. A lunchtime visit to this neighborhood park on Wednesdays through August offers a range of activities, including free drop-in yoga sessions (noon to 1:00 p.m.), and pick-up soccer games (11:30 a.m. to 1:30.p.m.). Moveable Feast food trucks offer lunch, while diners sit in bistro chairs under the shade of century-old oaks. Grab a few co-workers, friends and family for Music in the Park, or take in an outdoor movie with Starlight Cinema. It’s all happening at Summer in St. James Park. For a schedule of events, click here, or contact Lee Wilcox, Downtown Manager.

July, 2014

Verizon’s Move to North San Jose Positions Firm to Secure the Best Talent

#sjtalent

Verizon recently signed a lease to inhabit two buildings at Bixby Land Company’s THE Campus, which is a renovated project at 375 West Trimble Road in North San Jose. Verizon plans to staff a major center with its OnCue team and members of their New Product Development Group responsible for developing business products for wireless, wireline and enterprise video-related items. Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw, an industry research firm, said, “Their innovation is now a lot of stuff around applications, either on smartphones and tablets or your TV. And if you’re going to do that, you’re going to want to hire the best people, and that means being in the Valley.” For more information, click here, or contact Chris Burton, Senior Business Development Manager.

July, 2014

Mercury News Finds Its Place Downtown

#sjdowntown

Months after selling its 36-acre campus at 750 Ridder Park Drive, the Mercury News will return Downtown in September adding to the city center’s buzz by leasing 33,186 square feet at Legacy Towers. As Downtown continues its steady resurgence, the newspaper joins more than 90 tech businesses and 90 creative industry businesses, new high-rise housing developments and a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office underway. “The return of the newspaper is a very important symbol for Downtown,” said Kim Walesh, San Jose’s Economic Development Director. “More and more companies want urban settings where people walk to restaurants, and there’s a stimulating environment with lots of transportation options for getting around.” Welcome back Downtown, Mercury News! For more information, click here, or contact Leland Wilcox, Downtown Manager.

San Jose Ranked #1 City In Us For Small Businesses

San Jose recently ranked as the No. 1 city in the U. S. for small business, according to Biz2Credit’s report. The City’s No. 1 ranking is based on a weighted average that includes annual revenue, credit score, age of business (in months), cash flow, debt-to-income ratio, incorporation (C-Corp or LLC vs. sole proprietorship), and business owners’ personal credit scores. “San Jose remains the center of innovation and new business job creation in the U.S.,” said Biz2Credit CEO Rohit Arora. “The uplift in the northern California economy has not just benefited tech-centric startups.” The money and workers brought in by high-profile tech companies boosts all Silicon Valley businesses, including gas stations, restaurants, and boutique shops, noted Arora. A small business is defined as one with fewer than 250 employees and less than $10 million in annual revenues. For more information, click here. or contact Cara Douglas, Business Communications Manager.

June, 2014

Saint James Park Scores As Viewing Site For World Cup Soccer Games & Free Summer Movies

San Jose’s Office of Economic Development, the San Jose Earthquakes and San Jose’s Downtown Association are pleased to announce the official viewing of select games and event sites for the 2014 World Cup games in Silicon Valley kicking off on June 14 through June 16 at Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park. Starting June 20, the remaining selected games will be broadcast at Saint James Park in Downtown San Jose. Bring your lawn chairs and watch the games on the big screen, then take in a summer movie series, which kicks off with Bend it Like Beckham on June 14 following the soccer game. Admission is free and open to the public. Food trucks will be onsite at most events. For the event schedule, click here. Contact Cara Douglas, Business Communications Manager, for more information.

May, 2014

Vander-Bend Manufacturing Leases 200,000 Sq. Ft.

#northsj

Vander-Bend Manufacturing will move its operations and about 450 employees to North San Jose after signing a long-term lease for more than 200,000 square feet in one of the larger deals this year. Vander-Bend, a contract manufacturer that has long been based in Sunnyale, has leased 2701 Orchard Parkway, a 207,000-square-foot, single-story building that owner LBA Realty bought in 2011 for about $14 million. The lease allows Vander-Bend, which is currently in four buildings totaling roughly 175,000 square feet, to get under one roof with room to expand. According to Vander-Bend’s General Manager Steve Wolf, “We looked in various places, including the East Bay, looked north and south. The particular site we’ve chosen is a very attractive neighborhood, it’s close to our customers and where we are now.” Welcome to San Jose, Vander-Bend! For more information,click here, or contact Chris Burton, Senior Business Development Manager.